[Cricket] RIP Don Smith

[Gwylan]

Some sadness in Sussex; England's oldest test cricketer has died. He scored more than 17,000 runs for Sussex and took some useful wickets too.

He was before my time but my dad eulogised him, saying what a fine player he was.

Interestingly, the oldest test cricketer now is also a Sussex player - Ian Thomson. Now, there's someone I do remember.

 

[Lincolnshire Seagull]

RIP

I saw him play when I was very young.

I saw Thomson a lot - hard to think he's now the oldest. Time flies.

 

[BLOCK F]

RIP Don Smith, I do remember him from my younger days and I have to say, I thought he had passed away some time ago.

 

[HantsSeagull]

He was the groundsman at the school i went to. Had no idea who he was then or, to be honest, until i read his obit on Sussex ccc website.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

He was coach and groundsman at Lancing College in the 1970s when I was a pupil, and cricketer, there. Lovely bloke.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

When James Woodhouse described me “as a squash is before tis a peascod, or a codling when tis almost an apple” he accurately summed up my schoolboy approach including juvenile disrespect for Don Smith...

One of my regrets in life.

 

[Gwylan]

He was that rare of beasts: a Sussex-born test cricketer who played for Sussex.

Post-war, there have only been a handful: Langridge, Parks, Smith, Oakman, Wells and Kirtley (although there have been four who have won caps playing for other counties). It's not a great record

 

[cheshunt seagull]

He was that rare of beasts: a Sussex-born test cricketer who played for Sussex.

Post-war, there have only been a handful: Langridge, Parks, Smith, Oakman, Wells and Kirtley (although there have been four who have won caps playing for other counties). It's not a great record

He had a Sussex accent, which I think now is pretty much extinct. If anyone dared put a foot on the school cricket pitches seemingly whatever time of day or night his rich voice would ring out 'get off that pitch!'.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Some sadness in Sussex; England's oldest test cricketer has died. He scored more than 17,000 runs for Sussex and took some useful wickets too.

He was before my time but my dad eulogised him, saying what a fine player he was.

Interestingly, the oldest test cricketer now is also a Sussex player - Ian Thomson. Now, there's someone I do remember.

I don't remember Don Smith, but like you I remember watching Ian Thomson. He took 10 wickets in an innings at Worthing (I missed it). He also turned up as a supply teacher at my son's school once.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I don't remember Don Smith, but like you I remember watching Ian Thomson. He took 10 wickets in an innings at Worthing (I missed it). He also turned up as a supply teacher at my son's school once.

Why and when did Sussex stop playing at Worthing?

 

[GT49er]

Why and when did Sussex stop playing at Worthing?

1964. No idea why, but if Thomson was getting 10 wicket hauls on it, the pitch might not have been up to county standard? Not that Thomson wasn't good, but getting ten wickets suggests the pitch might have favoured the bowler just a bit.
Same as The Saffrons in Eastbourne - I think that was stopped because of the state of the pitch too. IIRC.

Back to Don Smith - I remember how thrilled I was when a Sussex player got picked for England. I remember Sussex playing Polegate on a Sunday afternoon in 1957 or 58. It was pretty much the full first team, so I'm sure I must have seen him play. Got a free tea for working the scoreboard! Anyway, RIP D.V. Smith - another piece of my childhood gone.

 

[Eeyore]

Why and when did Sussex stop playing at Worthing?

1964. No idea why, but if Thomson was getting 10 wicket hauls on it, the pitch might not have been up to county standard? Not that Thomson wasn't good, but getting ten wickets suggests the pitch might have favoured the bowler just a bit.
Same as The Saffrons in Eastbourne - I think that was stopped because of the state of the pitch too. IIRC.

Back to Don Smith - I remember how thrilled I was when a Sussex player got picked for England. I remember Sussex playing Polegate on a Sunday afternoon in 1957 or 58. It was pretty much the full first team, so I'm sure I must have seen him play. Got a free tea for working the scoreboard! Anyway, RIP D.V. Smith - another piece of my childhood gone.

I don't remember Don Smith, but like you I remember watching Ian Thomson. He took 10 wickets in an innings at Worthing (I missed it). He also turned up as a supply teacher at my son's school once.

June 1964.

Thomson took 15 wickets in the match. The charge that the wicket was sub standard would be harsh in normal circumstances given that Jon Snow went wicketless in the same innings that Thomson took them all.

Sussex were bowled out for 23 in the last innings. The highest team total being the first innings of Warwicks- 196 .

It was the days of uncovered wickets. So a rain affected third day pitch would be interesting to say the least. Especially against spinners.

Here is the scorecard:

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/A...LOCAL/CC/SUSSEX_WARWICKS_CC_06-09JUN1964.html

1964 was the final year in which the Manor Ground was used. It had hosted festival matches for decades prior. I could find out why, but I think GT may be pretty close.

Edit: The previous match in 1963 against Worcs produced two first innings totals of over 300. So perhaps the wicket wasn't an issue. I've sent a message to a fellow Sussex cricket guru for further wisdom.

 

[Lincolnshire Seagull]

June 1964.

Thomson took 15 wickets in the match. The charge that the wicket was sub standard would be harsh in normal circumstances given that Jon Snow went wicketless in the same innings that Thomson took them all.

Sussex were bowled out for 23 in the last innings. The highest team total being the first innings of Warwicks- 196 .

It was the days of uncovered wickets. So a rain affected third day pitch would be interesting to say the least. Especially against spinners.

Here is the scorecard:

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/A...LOCAL/CC/SUSSEX_WARWICKS_CC_06-09JUN1964.html

1964 was the final year in which the Manor Ground was used. It had hosted festival matches for decades prior. I could find out why, but I think GT may be pretty close.

I remember the excitement at Thomson taking all 10, but didn't realise/remember that we were comprehensively thrashed, or that we scored one of our lowest ever totals.

Interesting to see on the scorecard that one of his victims was stumped. I know he was only medium paced, but my hazy memory tells me keepers would normally have stood back to him.

 

[Eeyore]

I remember the excitement at Thomson taking all 10, but didn't realise/remember that we were comprehensively thrashed, or that we scored one of our lowest ever totals.

Interesting to see on the scorecard that one of his victims was stumped. I know he was only medium paced, but my hazy memory tells me keepers would normally have stood back to him.

That does make me wonder if the wicket was sweating, slow and low. I've seen keepers standing up to quick bowlers in those circumstances. Terry Gunn was keeping that day rather than Parks.

There is a link here to a Getty image from the match itself. (Can't download from the site for copyright reasons)

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...-by-sussex-county-cricket-news-photo/82062045

Do you remember what the weather was like ?

 

[Lincolnshire Seagull]

That does make me wonder if the wicket was sweating, slow and low. I've seen keepers standing up to quick bowlers in those circumstances. Terry Gunn was keeping that day rather than Parks.

There is a link here to a Getty image from the match itself. (Can't download from the site for copyright reasons)

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...-by-sussex-county-cricket-news-photo/82062045

Do you remember what the weather was like ?

Two short legs, umpires in long coats, pile of sawdust, spectators with blankets and suitable headgear. Proper cricket.

 

[GT49er]

June 1964.

Thomson took 15 wickets in the match. The charge that the wicket was sub standard would be harsh in normal circumstances given that Jon Snow went wicketless in the same innings that Thomson took them all.

Sussex were bowled out for 23 in the last innings. The highest team total being the first innings of Warwicks- 196 .

It was the days of uncovered wickets. So a rain affected third day pitch would be interesting to say the least. Especially against spinners.

Here is the scorecard:

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/A...LOCAL/CC/SUSSEX_WARWICKS_CC_06-09JUN1964.html

1964 was the final year in which the Manor Ground was used. It had hosted festival matches for decades prior. I could find out why, but I think GT may be pretty close.

Edit: The previous match in 1963 against Worcs produced two first innings totals of over 300. So perhaps the wicket wasn't an issue. I've sent a message to a fellow Sussex cricket guru for further wisdom.

Cheers! Enjoyed reading that scorecard. Strangely all 10 wickets in that dreadful Sussex innings were taken by seamers - the only spin in the match was 16 overs from Oakman and Bell in the first innings!

 

[Eeyore]

Why and when did Sussex stop playing at Worthing?

Quote from Cricket World:

'A deterioration in the quality of the wicket led to Sussex moving away in 1964, when Sussex were bowled out for just 23 by Warwickshire and Ian Thomson had match figures of 15 for 75 for the hosts. Since then a lot of work has been put into the standard of the playing surface leading to some Sussex second eleven matches being played at the ground in the 1990s and beyond'

Looks like [MENTION=12935]GT49er[/MENTION] called it correct.

Sussex played there 1935-1964

 

[Eeyore]

Cheers! Enjoyed reading that scorecard. Strangely all 10 wickets in that dreadful Sussex innings were taken by seamers - the only spin in the match was 16 overs from Oakman and Bell in the first innings!

Indeed. You were correct about the poor wicket. I think LS saying that Thomson had one stumped suggested it may have been a very sticky wicket too. So whoever bowled you were fooked.

See post #14 for an image of the match if you missed it.

Had a fun half hour researching all that. Love me Sussex cricket.

Sometimes I wish I had a Tardis.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

I remember Ian Thomson being a supply teacher at Goldstone Junior School.